Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lie beyond, it's worth pausing to visit a grand reminder of Moorish Mallorca: the Jardins
d'Alfàbia.
Sights
Jardins d'Alfàbia GARDENS
( www.jardinesdealfabia.com ; Carretera de Sóller Km 17; adult/child €6.50/free; 9.30am-6.30pm
Mon-Sat Apr-Oct, 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-1pm Sat Nov, closed Dec-Feb) The Jardins
d'Alfàbia reside in the shadow of the rugged Serra d'Alfàbia mountain range stretching
east of Sóller. Here an endearingly faded finca with a baroque facade, which looks like it
was stripped from a Florentine basilica, is surrounded by gardens, citrus groves, palm
trees and a handful of farmyard animals. The murmur of water gurgling along irrigation
canals hints at the place's past as the residence of an Arab wāli (viceroy), it's no coincid-
ence that in the Quran, paradise is a garden.
Little remains of the original Arab house, except for the extraordinary polychromatic
coffered ceiling, fashioned from pine and ilex, immediately inside the building's en-
trance. It is bordered by inscriptions in Arabic and is thought to have been made around
1170. To the right of the inner courtyard is the tafona (large oil press), a mix of Gothic,
Renaissance and baroque styles. The rambling house is laden with period furniture and a
1200-volume library.
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Bunyola
This drowsy town, known for olive oil and its palo (herbal liquor) distillery, resides at
the foot of lush terraced hillsides and the wild grey peaks of the Tramuntana. The rickety
wooden train that trundles between Palma and Soller stops here. It's a fabulous base for
rock climbing and - back at ground level - observing Mallorcan village life in the central
square, Sa Plaça, which hosts a small Saturday-morning market.
Sights & Activities
Església de Sant Mateu CHURCH
 
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